News for September 2, 1998

Contracts and Transfers

* - Danish Road Champion Frank Hoj (Palmans), will sign a 1-year contract with
US Postal Service. Hoj also had offers from Acceptcard Pro Cycling and Cofidis, but chose the
American team, where he will be able to ride for himself in the spring classics/semiclassics
in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Drugs Update

Virenque makes admissions

According to reports just out, French rider Richard Virenque has told police
who are investigating the drugs scandal during the Tour de France drugs
that he had used banned substances despite previously vigorously denying any
such use. Apparently, he made the declaration during an interview on
July 23 and 24. Sources close to the French Cycling Federation say that
they are preparing a statement but are officially refusing to comment.

Casagrande gets 6

The Disciplinary Commission of the Italian Cycling Federation has communicated today that
Francesco Casagrande and Oscar Mason will be suspended for six months for testing
positive at anti doping controls. Casagrande, who races for French team Casino,
was found to have excess level of testosterone at the Giro del Trentino, while Mason,
a Neo-pro with Brescialat-Liquigas, came up positive for norandrosterone at Settimana
Bergamasca. Casagrande was also fined 2,000 Swiss Francs ($US1,400). It virtually means
that his days with the French team Cofidis are over. The team has said they will sack
him upon suspension for drugs.

Australians persist with Stephens

* Just when the UCI is asking national federations to get tough, the
Australian Cycling authories (Cycling Australia - CA) have seemingly
chosen to ignore the request. They have confirmed that disgraced
Festina rider Neil Stephens will keep his place in the road team
for the upcoming Commonwealth Games despite being part of the
team which was expelled from the Tour de France.

The UCI has requested that each national body has similar sanctions.
The French and Swiss federations have said that they will not allow
the riders who were part of Festina to ride in the Worlds in October
unless they are cleared totally before then. It is hard to imagine
how that will happen, especially in the case of the Swiss riders who
have admitted knowledge of the doping at Festina.

The CEO for CA, Graham Fredericks has written to the UCI asking
for more guidance. He told the press: "Until there are formal charges
laid against Neil, really there is nothing we can do. The selection criteria
works both ways _ when a rider has done everything to satisfy that
criteria and you don't pick him without good grounds, you leave
yourself open to be stung from a legal perspective. As things stand at
the moment, we have no grounds not to select him. What other federations do
is their business."

Stephens admitted that he had signed documents while in police custody in
France which confirmed that he was given EPO by Festina. His claim is
that he thought it was Vitamin C. Whether he thought that or not, the fact
that there are documents confirming he was riding using EPO (willingly or
not). The Swiss riders also never tested positive. But they said they
knew what was happening. Under UCI rules, an admission of taking drugs is
equivalent to being tested positive.

So does it come down, in the eyes of CA, to being okay to have used EPO if
you are ignorant (or claiming to be ignorant).

What about all the riders who might have been straight who could
not hold the wheel of the EPO-infested riders? Don't they have rights too?

Juan Fernandez at Festina

It is now confirmed that Juan Fernandez is the new manager of the
Festina team. He takes of from Bruno Roussel, who was suspended by the
UCI during the Tour de France because he confessed to being part of
the systematic doping of Festina riders. Hhile Fernandez is being called
the technical director, it is equivalent to manager. He was previously
the manager of Mapei-GB and will take over from Thursday in Cordoba
before the Vuelta begins.

Australian press report

After recent drug allegations made against the Australian Track squad which
failed in the recent World Championships, this article appeared in the
The Daily Telegraph, on August 31,1998. It is a Sydney newspaper. The
story was written by Charles Miranda and the headline read "
Sports stars on gene powder, $3000-a-hit drug seized by Customs".

Some of Australia's elite athletes are using experimental drugs which cost
up to $3000 an injection, researchers claimed yesterday. The National Drug and
Alcohol Research Centre said the latest drug being used by some athletes is a
genetically-engineered powder being tested on MS sufferers. Federal and State
police investigations found the Adelaide-manufactured drug Insulin-like Growth
Factor (IGF-1) is being smuggled into Australia from the United States.

It is being used by several top track and field, cycling and body building
athletes. Priced between $2000 and $3000 per vial, the drug is designed to halt
muscle degeneration. There have been four seizures of the drug by Custom officers
and it is feared dealers are stockpiling IGF-1, and a cheap imitation, ahead of the
Sydney Olympic Games. It is manufactured by Adelaide firm GroPep for research, with
about 90 per cent of production going overseas medical and research facilities.

International Olympic Committee medical commission Oceania representative
Ken Fitch said yesterday IGF-1 was increasingly being used by athletes. The
drug would be placed on the Olympic banned drugs list in December this year.
It is currently a "prohibited substance" and can only be brought into
Australia with a written consent from Federal Health Minister Michael
Wooldridge. The NDARC claims IGF-1 was one of several new drugs being used by
Australia's elite athletes. The NSW University-based centre, partly funded
by Commonwealth and State health departments, has found anecdotal evidence of a
dramatic increase in IGF-1 use. It is undetectable and despite side-effects
such as diabetes, brain swelling and heart problems, was being mixed with other
substances by coaches.

Centre research manager Paul Dillion said evidence including private
conversations with the sporting community showed use of the drug was
prolific and involved well-known sport stars. Mr. Dillion praised the Australian
Olympic Committee initiative announced last week to financially penalise athletes
caught taking drugs.

"But that's like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted," he said.

"At last the Olympic committee has moved on the problem but it's too late
and they still have a win-win attitude such as giving cars and money to
athletes who win medals."

"That encourages people to not do just their best but win at all cost."

Australian Men's Road Team report

On Sunday, August 30, the Australian team raced in Modena in an Under-23
race called the Trofeo Salsi Stefano over a distance of 141 kms. They decided to
take only 2 riders and rest the others. Kris Denham and Matt Wilson were the
ones to race. Kris Denham almost pulled off another win when he attacked with
4km to go and held the field off solo until inside the last kilometer foreigner.

Rabobank to the Vuelta by car

Despite reports that some Italian and Dutch teams were going to travel
to the Vuelta by sea to avoid France, Rabobank has decided to go by car.
Manager Theo de Rooy has selected 9 riders for the Tour which will run
from September 5-27. The riders are - Michael Boogerd, Erik Dekker, Mark Lotz,
Robbie McEwen, Koos Moerenhout, Rolf S÷rensen, Leon van Bon, Max van Heeswijk and
Marc Wauters.

Peter Luttenberger was originally selected in the team but the Austrian has
a knee injury and was replaced by Mark Lotz. Luttenberger has had a
disappointing season after his 5th place in the Tour in 1996.

The Tour is an ideal test for the riders before the World Championships in
Valkenburg on October 11. The team does not think there is a risk from
French police in travelling directly by car. PR-person, Frank van der
Meijden said: "We do not have any troubles with the French police. I don't
think there will be any problems."

Attack on Dutch Hour Record

Danny Stam and Robert Slippens will attack the Dutch hour record for stayers
on Wednesday September 9 in the new stadium Velodrome in Amsterdam.
Stam will start first behind Bruno Walrave. Slippens will ride next behind
Willem Fack. Slippens expects to do more than 60 km in one hour.
The record is held by Peter Pieters with 57.350,16 meters set on September 25,
1997.

Brazilian News

Rodrigo Gini who updates us from Brazil has sent some information about the
Santa Catarina State Tour (Volta de Santa Catarina). 92 riders were at the start,
representing Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. For the first time in
Brazil, there were anti-doping tests. Every day, 10 cyclists were given blood tests that
are been analysed in Ladetec (an IOC-sanctioned laboratory at Rio de Janeiro University)

Two new state records in Minnesota

Mark Kotz from Minnesota writes that on Saturday evening August 29, 1998,
Marla Husnik established a new Women's Hour Record for the National Sports
Centre Velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota. In front of 130 friends and fans
(including lots of cheering kids slapping the boards at the track), Marla set
the standard for women at 40.73 kms per hour. She also raised, through pledges,
more than $US1100 for the Youth Cycling League which is completing it's first
year in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

On the same night, 8-year old Andrew Kotz set the new Minnesota State Record for
the 2000 meters for under age 10. Andrew's record attempt was made at the
National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota just a few weeks after
World Champion Marty Nothstein set a new world record at the same NSC Velodrome
for the flying 200 meters. Andrew rode a Giant (brand) fixed gear track bike (with the
seat as low as it can go) and completed the 2000 meters (8 times around the
track) in 4 minutes 22 seconds. The attempt was officially started and
clocked by several U.S. Cycling Federation Officials on hand for Marla
Husnik's hour record attempt.

Controversy ensued when the officials classified Andrew's record as
"unofficial" because he just doesn't have enough speed yet to stay above
that darned black line on the steep corners. Andrew's director sportif
(and Dad) Mark Kotz has lodged an official complaint with the U.S. Cycling
Federation, the Union Cyclist International and the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Kids who's Dads are Geeks.

When asked about Andrews new record, sister Meghan was quoted as saying
"Can I play with Andrew's GameBoy?"